Love Is Not Enough
by Khronology
Summary: In her heart of hearts, Fang knows there's more love for Lightning. Slight A/U.
1. Chapter I

Fang sighed as she walked along the grassy planes of Gran Pulse. She looked towards the horizon, the endless blue sky turning to a beautiful golden hue in the evening as the sun was setting. She sat on the grass, her spear beside her like the faithful companion it was, and watched the floating continent above Gran Pulse. It's been three years after the whole fal'Cie incident. She and Vanille were supposed to be in a crystal stasis after completing their focus, but they were awakened again after three months, with their brands gone. They tried to live their lives normally, and settled down in Cocoon with the rest of their companions. Fang's mind settled on a certain pink haired blonde. She chuckled, remembering how stoic the soldier was, even though she could clearly see the relief and happiness in the soldiers blue eyes.

Things were going well for all of them. Sazh and Dajh decided to settle down with the rest of them at Bodhum. Lebreau's bar was filled with customer's now, compared to before, and NORA's working with Gurdian Corps to maintain the safety of the people of Cocoon. Serah and Snow got married and Hope was accepted at Academia, which was a prestigious school in Cocoon. It was well know for it's students who were prodigies in academic and athletic fields. Hope's father was part of Cocoon's council, and Vanille was finally free of the wretched brand. As for Fang and Lightning...things were going smoothly between them.

She finally mustered the courage to ask the pink haired beauty on a date after Serah's and Snow's wedding. To her surprise, she said yes. Fang chuckled softly, remembering how nervous she was on their first date. She tried her best to tame the snarls of her wild hair, and made sure that there were no creases on her sari. Her chest felt tight as she remembered how happy they were together. Even though Lightning may come off as cold and brutal, deep down she was warm and shy. Only a few people had the privilege to experience that side of her, and Fang was one of them.

Things were going well for Fang and Lightning, until Fang broke up with her. She clenched her jaw, remembering how it felt when she told her things wouldn't work out between them. It hurt her, seeing the pain, confusion, and shock in the soldier's eyes. There were no tears in her eyes, no she wouldn't let them spill. But the emotions in her eyes was enough to make Fang's heart break completely. She averted her eyes to the setting sun, the pain in her chest amplifying with every passing moment. She ran her hand through her dark hair, remembering how much it hurt, hearing the footsteps of the soldier walking away for the last time. She said she didn't care. She said she understood. But Fang knew better. Fang knew that she cared, and she didn't understand why Fang was doing this. But Fang had to. A week after their break up, she and Vanille returned to Gran Pulse without telling their friends. She felt it was best if she left.

"Chicken", Fang mumbled. Truth was, she was scared to face Lightning again. She was afraid that seeing the pink haired beauty would crumble her resolve to leave. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts of Lightning. Their relationship was in the past. Though Fang hadn't moved on yet, she was pretty sure Lightning would. She blinked, realizing that it's getting darker. The first stars of the evening were twinkling in the darkening sky, and Fang took this as a sign to return. Vanille would be worried if she stayed out too long. Even though she was more than capable to defend herself, Gran Pulse isn't a place for anyone to wander alone. She stood up and dusted her sari, taking one last look at the floating continent, before heading back.

* * *

[A/N] New to this section, so yeah. You know the drill, read, review, leave me some constructive criticism. Flamers be gone. It's kinda short, I know.

Should I continue?


	2. Chapter II

By the time Fang got back to the village, dusk had settled in. Even at night, Gran Pulse was beautiful. The moon was full, illuminating Gran Pulse in it's light and the stars were twinkling away, dancing in the night sky beneath the moon's beam. A light, gentle breeze was blowing, and the plants and trees were swaying with it in rhythm. At night, the village of Oerba was lively as it was during the day. It was lighted up, making it easy to spot from a a far. Often times, travelers from other tribes would stop by to rest and trade in the night market. Guards greeted her as she walked into the entrance of the village. Even from here, she could hear the loud booming noise coming from the night market. Street performers were everywhere in Oerba's night market. Some would play music, others would to theatrical performances, and the most well known one was how the six l'Cie fought the fal'Cie and saved Cocoon. Fang walked passed the rows of stalls, with merchants yelling their best prices and items, customers haggling prices with the merchants. It was crowded, stuffy, and noisy. She was walking past a stall that was selling clothes until a certain redhead caught her eye. She approached the redhead and tapped her shoulder lightly. She turned around and was pleasantly surprised to see who it was.

"Fang! It's about time you got back from your patrol. You promised me that we'd do some shopping today", Vanille huffed.

"Did I? Well then, let's get to it. The sooner we're done, the sooner I can go home and eat", Fang said. Vanilled giggled and nodded and dragged Fang along. They bought necessities such as food and house hold appliances, and some clothes. By the time they were done, it was past midnight. Fang was carrying the heavier bags while Vanille carried the lighter ones.

"I don't understand how in Gran Pulse that place could still be crowded. Don't these people need to sleep?", Fang muttered, watching as more people headed towards the night market. Vanille laughed, seeing a group of children running excitedly towards the night market.

"I heard that the puppet master from the northern tribe is coming here tonight. That's why they're excited to go to the night market. Do you want to watch?", Vanille asked as they took a turn, heading towards their home.

"Ah, no thanks Vanille. I need to turn in early tonight. There's gonna be a meetin' first thing in the mornin' with the elders of the western tribe, and we're settin' out at dawn", Fang explained.

"Oh right, I forgot about that. It's alright then, I'll go with Sioux and Taino", Vanille said. Fang nodded in approval. She didn't mind if Vanille went with those two. Sioux and Taino are one of Vanille's first friends when they got this village. Fang knows that they're honourable people, and man of their words. She trusts them not to do anything stupid, or they'll have a taste of her spear.

"Right then, just don't stay out too long yeah?", Fang said as they reached home. She opened the door and stepped in, with Vanille behind and set their shopping bags on the floor.

"I won't! I'll be back as soon as the show's over. By the way, tonight's dinner on the table. It's still warm, so make sure you eat it on time alright? Bye now!", Vanille said quickly and ran off. She could see Sioux and Taino were waiting for Vanille. They waved at Fang and she waved back, and watched as they set to the night market excitedly.

Fang's stomach rumbled in hunger as she set her spear down. She saw pots that were covered set on the table. She silently thanked Vanille for dinner and sat down to eat. Tonight's meal was Thexteron meat, with fruits and berries. After filling her belly, she decided that it would be a good idea to take a bath. She went to the bathroom and filled the bath tub with hot water, and stripped her clothes off. She sighed in content as she stepped into the tub. The water was perfect, and it helped her relax, easing the tension out of her weary body. She didn't realize how weary she was until now. She glanced out the window, watching the night sky as her mind drifted far away.

Fang sighed as she thought of her plans for tomorrow. Meeting the western tribe's elders wasn't something she was looking forward too. Convincing their leaders to move to Oerba wasn't an easy task. Fang cursed under her breath, and wished that she wasn't born as a Yun. Bearing that name meant big responsibilities and bigger sacrifices. After defeating the fal'Cie Barthandelus, they were revered as heroes. The people of Cocoon were devastated to learn that they were meant for sacrificial purposes for the fal'Cie, just so they can have the Maker return. But they were thankful to the six former l'Cie's, even though they were skeptical about the Pulsians. It was going well, until the villagers of Oerba learned that Fang was the last living Yun. And they needed her to return, to maintain peace and order between tribes, since the throne of the chieftain rightfully belongs to the Yuns. Her father had left her a great legacy, and departed this world in hopes that she'll continue the legacy of the Yuns/

When she and Vanille received news about this, they decided to visit Gran Pulse. Of course, they didn't tell anyone the reason why they were going. They needed to make sure this request was legitimate, and they didn't want to jeopardize the safety of their companions. They had their lives to live, and responsibilities to fulfill. When Fang and Vanille reached Gran Pulse, the village of Oerba had a heroes welcome for them. They stood in awe, as they watched Fang, the only survivor from the legendary Yun clan greet them warmly. They were hospitable to Vanille and Fang, and the kids loved them, asking them stories of how they defeated monsters on their journey. They made them feel like they're at home. But it wasn't until night that the village's chieftain decided to hold a meeting with Vanille and Fang, regarding the position of the chieftain. All went well until there was an assassination attempt on her and Vanille. She could remember the current chieftain's words at that time, who's now her adviser, as clear as day.

"Being a Yun bears great responsibility Lady Fang. I won't stop you if you wish to return to Cocoon and continue your way of life there, but bear this in mind ; Returning to Cocoon isn't going to stop these assassination attacks. Your life, as well as Lady Vanille's life and those around you will be in constant danger. Even if you're capable to defend yourself, what about them? You can't protect everyone", he said quietly. And Fang hated how he was right. Even though Fang, Vanille, Snow, Lightning and Sazh could take care of themselves, what about Serah? What about Hope and little Dajh? Her heart grew heavy as she realized that by refusing the legacy of the Yun, she's sentencing her friends and her beloved Lightning to death. Fang realized that she had to choose between the people of Gran Pulse and her life on Cocoon. After much deliberation, she's made her decision. If it means that she had to leave the only person in her life that she cared about the most so the rest of them can be safe, so be it.

Fang exhaled a deep breath, and sunk further into the tub as she remembered her argument with Lightning after she got back from Gran Pulse, which led to their break up.

* * *

"Look, all I'm asking is what happened in Gran Pulse til you're bandaged up like that. I don't get why you have to be so angry about it", Lightning snapped at Fang. She was worried sick when Fang came home, covered in bandages. When she asked Fang about it, she answered that it was a hunting trip that went wrong, but Lightning knew better. She knew full well the brunette was lying to her, and she didn't understand why.

"Because it's none of your damn business, alright? Look, I'm tired and sore all over, and I just wanna get a good night's sleep", Fang said in an irritated voice, not wanting to tell her about the recent assassination attempt on her and Vanille.

"None of my damn business Fang? What happened in Gran Pulse til you have to lie to me like this", Lightning asked, narrowing her eyes at Fang. Usually, Lightning didn't push Fang for answers when she didn't want to talk about it, but after seeing her current state, she can't help but to worry about Fang. And it was difficult since Fang was being difficult about it.

"Nothing happened alright! Stop interrogating me like a damn fugitive!", Fang yelled. Lightning was surprised at her sudden outburst. It wasn't like Fang to lose her temper like that. Not with Lightning at least.

"Fang, I didn't meant to-", Lightning started as she walked towards the brunette.

"Look, I'm tired and I wanna sleep, alright? I'll be sleepin' on the couch tonight", Fang said as she disappeared to their room, making it clear that she didn't want to continue this conversation anymore. She reappeared with a pillow under one arm and a blanket on the other and settled down on the couch.

"Fang, look, I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I was just worried sick seeing you coming home like this", Lightning said softly as the brunette covered herself with the blanket.

"Goodnight, Lightnin'", Fang said coldly. Lightning was startled at that. It wasn't like Fang to call her Lightning.

"...goodnight Fang", she said quietly and went back to her room.

The rest of the week passed by awkwardly. Fang was avoiding Lightning and dismissed any attempts of the pink haired blonde to spend some time with her. Finally, the day that Fang was dreading came.

"Lightnin' we need to talk", Fang said as she sat down on the couch one night. Lightning nodded and sat as well, crossing her leg over the other.

"Look, I don't think this is working out. I feel like we aren't going anywhere with our relationship", Fang said, trying her best to ignore the pain in her chest and keeping a straight face. Lightning blinked in surprised, trying to register what Fang had just said.

"...what? What do you mean that we're not going anywhere with our relationship?", Lightning asked coldly. Fang flinched a little, and tried her best to come up with an excuse.

"We're not communicating properly lately. And I'm not talking about this week, I'm talking about these past few months", she said calmly. Though the reason why they couldn't spend time with each other like they used to was because Lightning was recently promoted to being a colonel. That means longer office hours and more paperwork. Fang couldn't remember when was the last time they sat on the couch and watched movies together til late night.

"You know it was because I was busy with work Fang. The paper work that comes with the job is endless, you know that", Lightning said. Fang could see that she was trying her best to keep herself together, and it almost broke her resolve to leave. No, she can't do that. For her safety as well as the others', she must leave.

"That's just it. You're always busy with work. You're puttin' work above everythin' else. Tell me, when was the last time that we actually spent time together Lightnin'? When was the last time we watched movies together, or take a walk in the park, or went on dates?", Fang asked her. Lightning opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She knew Fang was right.

"Look, I can't do this anymore, alright? I'm tired of waitin' up for ya to come home lookin' half dead, only to see you do more paper work. I'm done", Fang said, her heart breaking to pieces as she saw the pain, confusion, sadness and anger in those brilliant blue eyes.

"I see. Well then, I'm sorry I couldn't spend enough time with you Fang. I'm sorry that I had to work extra hours just so I can put food on the table and keep a roof above our heads. I completely understand", Lightning said coldly. Fang flinched inwardly as she saw her eyes turned to ice blue, clearly upset and hurt about this.

"...right. I've packed my stuff and it's at Vanille's place now. I'm sorry Lightnin'", Fang said softly as she stood up. The pink haired blonde didn't acknowledge her apology. She didn't even want to look at her. With a soft sigh and a shattered heart, Fang took one last look at Lightning, before she left.

* * *

Fang got out of the tub, and grabbed a towel off the shelf and wrapped it around her figure. Vanille should be home in a bit, she thought as she dried herself. Padding towards her bedroom, she grabbed a clean blouse, bra, panties and a pair of black shorts. While Fang was getting dressed, she could hear Vanille's voice coming from the living room. She stepped out to see Vanille waving goodbye at Sioux and Taino as they headed home.

"Had fun at the show?",Fang asked Vanille as the redhead sat on a chair and took her shoes off.

"You bet! You should've been there Fang! It was so much fun!", Vanille giggled happily. Fang laughed, happy to see her friend in high spirits.

"Right then, I'm headin' to bed. Make sure ya sleep early ya hear? Night Vanille", Fang said as she padded back to her room.

"Okay! Goodnight Fang",Vanille called after as Fang closed the door.

She laid on the bed, closing her eyes and letting sleep claim her. It wasn't long before she dreamt about a certain pink haired blonde. Fang smiled as she continued to dream.

* * *

[A/N] Holymotherofunicorns, 10 reviews in less than 24 hours?! You people are unicorns, I'm sure of it. Honestly, I didn't even think anyone would read and review this fic at all. I would like to thank you fellow unicorns for reading and reviewing this fic! Spread some rainbows and love yeah! As for Killerduran, dude I have no idea what you just said ~(._.)~ I don't understand French, so yeah. (Also, I've recently created a twitter account. You can check out the link on profile page. Follow me so you guys can keep track on the story's update as well as new fics!).

PS : If you see any spelling or grammar errors tweet or PM me, and I'll correct it. I'm only human, so I'm bound to make mistakes.


	3. Chapter III

Lightning Farron's snapped her eyes open the moment her alarm went off. She sat up, glancing at her clock. 5.00 a.m. She leaned over to turn off her alarm and slid off her bed. She stretched, getting her blood to circulate to drive the sleep away and padded to the bathroom to brush her teeth. After washing her face and taming her spiky pink hair, she pulled on a white tank top, running shorts, strapped on a wrist watch and went downstairs. Wearing her favourite pair of jogging shoes, she set out to the park. It was a routine that she followed on a daily basis. Get up, jog around the park, get home, shower, breakfast and leave the house by 7.30 a.m. She walked out to the parking lot, her blue velocycle standing out amongst the rest. It was a brand new model, courtesy of the Guardian Corps for being the most dedicated soldier. Just as she was about to start up her velocycle, her phone rang. Flipping it out in annoyance, she was surprised to see that it was Hope calling.

"Lightning," she answered in a professional tone.

"Lightning! It's Bartholomew. Is Hope there by any chance?", came Bartholomew's frantic voice. Lightning stiffened, worry and anxiety immediately kicking in for the young boy.

"No. When was the last time you saw him?", Lightning asked, keeping her voice calm, despite the fact that there was a mini panic attack coming underway.

"Last night, when he said that he was going to Sazh's place. He said that he was going to stay over for the night at his place and go to school. But when I called to check up on in this morning, Sazh said he hadn't stayed the night at all. As a matter of fact, he left pretty early", Bartholomew said in a shaky voice.

"Alright, I'll look for Hope. In the mean time, I suggest you take the day off and stay at home, just in case if Hope comes home", she assured the man. She sympathized the man, understanding how it feels like when your only remaining family decided to just leave without saying a word. Grinding her teeth, her mind ran through hundreds of places that Hope could be.

"Yes, of course. And Lightning...please get him home. I-I just can't stand the thought of losing him too. He's the only one that I have left, and I don't want him to be taken away from me too", Bartholomew said in a shaky voice. Lightning could tell that he was doing all he can to keep himself together.

"Of course, Bartholomew. I'll do what I can to get him back. Just sit tight, alright?", she said in a gentle voice.

"Of course Lightning, of course. Please do call me if you find anything at all", he said. With that, he hung up. Lightning flipped her phone and slide it into her pocket. Revving up her engine, she pulled out of the drive way and drove into the city.

* * *

Looking for Hope was harder than she thought it would be. She went to every cafe, shop, mall, fast food joints and every other place that she could think of. But he was nowhere to be found. She glanced at her watch and growled softly. It was past noon, so there was no point of going back to work now. And not to mention the amount of paperwork that was waiting on her desk, just piling up... She jumped a little when her phone rang. Flipping her phone, she frowned a little when she saw her caller ID. With a scowl she answered her phone.

"Hey sis!". She cringed at the voice, her teeth grinding together at the word 'sis'.

"I am not your sister Villiers. And this call better be damn important", she growled in annoyance. As much as she hated to admit it, the older Farron did actually have a soft spot for Snow. He kept Serah happy and made sure there was food on the table and a roof over their heads.

"As a matter of fact it is, it's about Hope", he said, his voice sobering up. Lightning stiffened at the name, feeling a lump growing in her throat.

"Where is he Snow? Is he alright?" she asked in a shaky voice. Hope was like a little brother to Lightning. She took him under her wing during their l'Cie days and thought him how to survive. If anything were to happen to him...

"Yeah, I think. I don't know sis. He just popped in an hour ago and he looks pretty down and beaten up. Looks like he hasn't been sleeping either. Serah's fussing over him now though.", he said in a worried voice. In the background, she could faintly hear Serah's voice complaining about something. Lightning exhaled a breath that she didn't know she was holding, relieved that Hope was safe at the most.

"Alright, keep him there, and make sure he doesn't leave, Snow. His dad called me up saying he hasn't gone home yet. I'll come over to pick him up", she said, walking to her velocycle. Oh, when she gets there, she's going to have a word or two with him. Getting beaten up? It wasn't like him to get into fights.

"What? Well whatever it must be, it looks bad Lightning. I know you're going to give him a word or two, but I think you should cut the kid some slack. Looked like he got into a bad fight too. Bruised knuckles and all. I know the kid can handle a few fists coming his way, but it's not like him to get into one", Snow murmured quietly. Lightning guessed that Hope must be close by.

" I know Snow, and I'm pretty surprised too. Tell Serah to patch him up. I'm on my way", she said and flipped her phone shut. Revving up her velocyle, she rode towards Serah's apartment.

Lightning's eye twitched when she saw Hope. He had a black eye, a bruise on his jaw, a split lip and few minor cuts here and there that marred his face. Lightning was certain that the girls in his school wouldn't appreciate him looking like this. He looked guilty and nervous as she narrowed her eyes at him. Ever since his mom died, Lightning was like a guardian to him. Like a sister that he never had. So whenever Bartholomew wasn't around, Lightning or Serah took care of him.

She pulled a chair and sat down, still observing him. A part of her wanted to yell at him, asking him what was he thinking pulling off a stunt of him. But the sisterly side of her wanted to comfort him. He looked pretty roughed up, and Hope was the kind of boy that did things for a reason.

"Have you eaten anything?", she asked gently. Hope was taken aback, half expecting her to yell at him. He shook his head, keeping his eyes on the ground, refusing to meet Lightning's steely blue eyes.

"You better eat something then. Serah, do you have anything to feed him?", she asked as her sister walked in.

"Yeah, I'm preparing something. You need to eat Hope, you don't look so good", Serah chided him softly. Hope was about to open his mouth to protest, but thought better of it as Lightning shot him a look. With a defeated sigh, he agreed. Snow and Serah went to the kitchen, leaving Lightning and Hope alone in the living room.

"Mind telling me what happened? Your dad called, Hope. He sounded pretty worried when he told me you didn't sleep over Sazh's place", she asked gently. He looked guilty, and Lightning felt bad.

"It was nothing, really", he mumbled, not quite meeting her eyes. She sighed, well this approach was certainly not working.

"Hope", she said again in a stern voice that commanded his attention. He looked up, grayeyes meeting blue ones. Lightning saw fear, guilt and sadness within those eyes. Without a second thought, she got up and walked over to Hope, pulling him into a tight hug. Hope's eyes widened, shocked that someone like Lightning Farron would give him a hug, but he returned the gesture.

"What happened Hope?", she asked softly as she drew away, taking a seat beside him. He sighed, feeling his emotions taking over. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he took a moment to recollect himself.

"I...I'm just tired Lightning. I'm tired of living up to everyone's expectations in the Academia. It's hard there", he said tiredly. For a moment, he didn't look eighteen. He looked like a man. His eyes looked out of the window, and into the distance. Lightning understood what it felt like, shouldering everyone's expectations. Even now, people looked up to her and the rest. She felt suffocated, like she had to live by a certain rule since everyone looked up to her. And it certainly isn't easy on Hope either.

"I know what it feels like Hope, when the whole world looks up to you, when you feel the need to please them with the way you act, and deliver the results they want. But remember Hope, it's your life. You get to choose if you want to live a happy one or sad one", Lightning said.

"I know...but it's hard, y'know? I wanna do better...be better. I need to be", he said as he racked his fingers through his silver locks.

"Why? Hope, your father is proud of you. Not only you saved Cocoon, you managed to get into Academia, get a fully paid scholarship, and make it to the Dean's list. Which parent wouldn't be proud of having a kid like that?".

"I know Lightning, I know. But I need to be stronger", he said, looking at her. Lightning could see the fiery determination in his gray eyes.

"And may I know where did this need come from Hope? Did you lose in that fight? You still owe me an explanation as to why you got into a fight", she asked as she leaned back into her chair and folding her arms over her chest. He was quiet for a moment, his expression thoughtful, his eyes softer. Lightning knew that look so well.

"...I want to be stronger so I can find Vanille and bring her back. I miss her" he answeredsoftly. Lightning felt a stab of pain in her chest. Thinking about Vanille always leads to Fang. She looked away, fighting the pain in her chest. She pushed away any thoughts of Fang that threatened to invade her mind, and noticed Hope looking at her.

"I know you still love her, Lightning", he said quietly. He may be young, but he certainly wasn't stupid. Though he was mad at Fang for breaking Lightning's heart and taking Vanille away, he knew that she had her reasons. During their journey to save Cocoon, he saw the dark haired brunette stealing glances at Lightning. He noticed at how she'd lower her guard slightly around Lighting, and how her eyes and expression turn softer around the strawberry blonde.

"...this isn't about me Hope, it's about you. Besides, she was the one that ended things, not me", she said with a bitter laugh. Lightning can't believe that she was having this conversation with Hope, of all people. Before Hope could say anything, Snow stepped into the living room and announced that the food was ready, and dragged Hope to the kitchen. She silently thanked the big giant for his impeccable timing. She sighed and brought her phone out, flipping it open to make a call to her office to tell them that she won't be coming in today. Putting her phone away, she stood up and made her way to the window, looking out at the big city. The sun was setting, turning the evening sky to a beautiful golden hue.

Random memories of Fang filler her head as she stared at the scenery in front of her. Did she missed her at all? Did she really hated Lightning that much til she had to leave? She clenched her jaw as she felt a lump forming in her throat. _Had her love been a lie? _She asked herself. Was she not good enough for Fang? She shook her head as the question bombarded her mind. She didn't want to think about it. The fact was, Fang didn't love her anymore, and she wasn't good enough for Fang. She was pretty sure that Fang moved on, settling down where ever she was. Though, she had a pretty good idea that she was in Gran Pulse.

She sighed as she took a seat on the couch, and turned the TV on. Flipping through the hundreds of channels available, she finally settled on a movie about vampires and werewolves. She rolled her eyes at the two actors on screen as they made out in their bedroom. Watching them brought back a random memory of Lightning and Fang when they were together.

* * *

"Fang, isn't it your turn to do the dishes?" , Lightning huffed at the dark haired woman, who was to engrossed in a movie.

"Wha- it is? Ah damn it, and it's the best part of the movie too", she grumbled as she stood up. Lightning rolled her eyes and watched Fang make her way to the kitchen.

"Well, how about you wash, and I'll dry? It'll be faster that way", she offered.

"Thanks sunshine, but I think I've got it covered", she called from the kitchen. Lightning decided that it would be a good idea for her to take a shower before heading to bed. She made her way to their bedroom and groaned at the sight before her. Fang's clothes were everywhere. Grumbling, she tidied the room a little. When it came to their cleanliness, they were poles apart. Fang didn't mind leaving her clothes lying around, whereas Lightning was a neat freak. They often got into little arguments over this, but Fang, being Fang, always managed to win the fight with her Yun charm. Satisfied that their room was at least organized, she stripped and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water cascade over her skin. It wasn't long before she heard the bathroom door open, and felt a pair of of arms circling her waist. She smiled and leaned into Fang a little as the dark haired brunette planted soft little kisses on her neck and jaw, before turning Lightning around and captured her lips in a soft, loving kiss. Lightning moaned softly as she felt their warm, wet, naked bodies pressed against each other and raked her fingers through Fang's dark curls. Fang pulled away, needing to breath for a moment, and rested her forehead against Lighting's.

"Need some help with your back?" Fang asked, a mischievous grin forming.

"I'm sure you'd be more than happy to help even if I didn't ask Fang. But since you're in here, why don't you make yourself useful", Lightning said, smirking as she felt Fang shivered under her touch. She caressed the Yun's back, letting her hands wander all over her toned back, going lower and lower...

* * *

Lightning blinked and shook her head, her cheeks turning bright red at the memory. Her heart clenched thinking about Fang. Sighing, she stood up and went to the kitchen to check on Hope.

"Are you done Hope? We need to get you home", she said as he finished his steak. He nodded and thanked Serah and Snow for the meal. After saying their goodbyes and calling Bartholomew to tell him that Hope was safe, Lightning and Hope left their apartment. They sky was getting darker, and the stars were out. The night air was cool and crisp, making her shiver a little. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if Fang was watching the sunset, and looking up at the night sky right now, and thought about Lightning. She laughed inwardly at that. There was no way she would.

After all, her love wasn't enough for Fang.

* * *

[A/N] Greetings fellow unicorns! My sincerest apologies for not updating this story for a bit. It was my birthday on Monday (20th of August to be specific) and my friends and family surprised me with a party and a vacation. And now that I'm back, I'll be updating this story a bit more often. Also, I can't believe that one of my favourite authors Genril is following this story! It's an honour, truly, as I enjoy reading his stories a lot (especially The Other Battlefield) and I respect his writing style. But, as always, read, enjoy, and drop me a review!

P.S : Follow me on twitter too! That way, you can interact with me and get to know me better. Link is on my profile page.


	4. Chapter IV

Fang shifted around restlessly which earned a scolding look from her advisor, Beymour. She grinned sheepishly before settling into a more comfortable position. Their party have been riding in the caravan for a few hours now, heading towards the nothern region of Gran Pulse. She and Beymour were to meet with the elders of the Karok tribe. The most of them live way up north, within the snowy mountains of Gran Pulse, but for convenience's sake, they've agreed to meet each other halfway. She stared out of the window of the caravan, watching the scenery of Gran Pulse pass by. It was a fine day, the clear endless blue sky stretching out into the horizon, with thin, wispy strands of clouds across the sky. The sun was high up in the sky, blazing it's heat down on Gran Pulse. She groaned inwardly, wishing that she'd sent Beymour alone instead for this meeting. The elder man was much wiser and experienced in dealing with these kinds of things, as he was the previous chieftain before her.

"We're pretty close now, Fang. Just a few more kilometers and we'll be at our meetin' spot", Beymour said, sensing her restlessness. Fang groaned, and he merely chuckled at her.

Leader or not, the young Yun was known to be impatient. Dealing with old farts and such wasn't really her thing, but of course, being a chieftain meant that she had to suck it up and deal with it. He shook his head at her, amused by this. Regardless of her impatience and recklessness, she was the best leader Gran Pulse could ask for. In just a year, she's managed to unify most tribes under Oerba. Oerba's too big to be even called as a village now. A town would be a more appropriate term for it, as the population within Oerba is growing. Not only that, she's managed to come to an understanding with Cocoon on behalf on Gran Pulse, and they signed a peace treaty. It was something that not even the leaders of his time could achieve in their lifetimes, let alone in such a short period of time. Thanks to that, Cocoon has offered some of their technologies to the people of Oerba, and upgraded their lifestyles. They built an air ship station on Gran Pulse, enabling people of Cocoon and Gran Pulse to visit each other.

Word of her achievements has reached to the ears of the leaders from distant tribes. Curious to see the last living Yun, and to see if any of the tales that they've heard is true, they've ventured from all over Gran Pulse to Oerba. They weren't disappointed at all when they saw that Oerba was now like a town, with proper buildings and facilities available for everyone. Then of course there was that famous night market which was the pride and joy of the young Yun (since she just loves watching her people have fun and getting into trouble herself), and their town guards armed to teeth, she has earned the respects of their elders.

"Why're you zonin' out for old man?", Fang asked, poking his side, making the older jump in surprise. He narrowed his eyes at her and she gave him her sunniest smile. Fang loved to mess with him, seeing as he was like a father to her and Vanille. They were both like family to him, and he'd do the best he can to keep them happy and safe. His wife loved them too, making sure that they eat on time (especially Fang), and yelling at them like a mother scolding her kids when they get into trouble.

"I'm not that old, Fang. I was just wonderin' what the missus was gonna prepare for dinner tonight", he said, tapping his belly lightly. He wasn't lying, Karin's cooking was the best in Oerba. Just the thought of her famous lamb stew was enough to make his mouth water and his stomach growl lightly.

"Careful old man, eatin' too much of that woman's food's gonna make ya fat. Is that a belly I'm seein'?" Fang asked, poking his stomach lightly. He growled lightly at her and she just laughed, her green jade eyes twinkling. He blinked as he realized that the caravan was slowing down. Peering out, he saw another caravan not too far ahead of them. He recognized the emblem on the caravan as the Karok tribe's.

"Alright kids, we're here. And Fang, be on yer best behavior yeah?" he said. She rolled her eyes at him and snorted before getting down from the caravan. She stretched, grabbing her spear and latching it to her back. She squinted at the Karok's caravan and saw people coming down from it. Her brows furrowed together as she realized that something wasn't right. Something was off, and she didn't like this one bit. Before she could voice her concerns to Beymour, a loud gun shot went off in the distance. Before she could register what happened, she felt a searing hot pain on the left side of her chest, and something warm and sticky. Glancing down, she saw a blotch of red forming on her blue sari.

"Ah crap", she mumbled, and everything went black.

* * *

Vanille was tired, to say the least. Whenever Fang wasn't around, she was in charge of Oerba's affairs. It wasn't "sugar and rainbows" as Fang would put it. A growing pile of papers was stacked on her desk as she was looking through the affairs of the village, the progress of the crops, security reports and such. She put aside the papers she was looking at and rested her forehead against the table, groaning tiredly. She winced a little as she felt a headache coming on. Now she understood why Fang was always in a bad mood when it came to paperwork. Standing up, she stretched, working the kinks out from her neck and shoulders. Glancing out, she decided that it would be nice to take a walk in this fine weather. Maybe I should ask Taino and Sioux to come along, she thought at she left the room. She glanced out of the window, and squinted when she saw hundreds of what seemed like soldiers coming to Oerba from a distance.

"What..." she started, trying to comprehend what was going on. Before she could finish her sentence, she felt heard a loud explosion going off somewhere within Oerba. Her emerald eyes widened as she realized that Oerba was under attack. Adrenaline fueled her as she quickly made her way to the stairs, descending down the steps quickly.

"Lady Vanille! Thank Maker you're safe! Oerba is under attack and we need to bring you to safety!", yelled on of the guards as they heard screams outside.

"Don't worry about me! Bring the people to safety first! That's your priority right now!", she yelled ,shrugging off his hand as he pulled her towards the safe house.

"But-", he started, and was cut off by a stern look from her.

"No buts! I can take care of myself. Now go!", she yelled. With a reluctant nod, the guard barked an order to the rest of his men, and left to help the people. She bit her lip as she thought about what she was going to do. What would Fang do... she thought, looking around for any ideas. Seeing the Bahamut's statue in the corner gave her an idea. Running outside, she was shocked to see the state of Oerba was in. Unknown soldiers were outside, firing what seemed to Vanille was heavy, military gunnery that definitely wasn't from Gran Pulse. Although the soldiers and guards of Oerba were doing a good job of keeping them out, she doubt they could hold them off for long. She ran for cover as another explosion went off nearby, and watched in horror as one of the missiles brought down a building. Gritting her teeth, she made a run for it, running past panicked citizens and travelers and headed to the temple of Etro that was nestled on a small hill that wasn't far off from the town.

As she ran, she could hear the screams of women and children, and shots of gunfire happening as the invading soldiers tried to break through the up the steps of the temple, she muttered a prayer to the goddess Etro, praying that nobody got hurt or killed in this attack. She saw the priests and priestess of the temple were panicking as they heard the chaos that was going on outside.

"Lady Vanille! What's going on?! Who's attacking us?!", exclaimed the cardinal of the temple as the priests and priestess ran into hiding within the temple.

"I'm not sure, but who ever's behind these attacks definitely wants to bring Oerba down. I need your permission to blow the Summoner's Horn cardinal", she quickly said, and for a moment, she wasn't sure it the cardinal understood what she was saying. He nodded quickly and pulled her by the wrist, leading her to the tower where the giant horn was. The Summoner's Horn was built shortly after most of the tribes were under Oerba. When in time of danger, it would call upon the beasts within the wilderness of Gran Pulse to their aid, fending off any dangers. It was a good thing the Yun's and Dia's were good with animals too. As they descended upon the winding steps of the tower, they could hear another loud explosion going off, making Vanille clenching her jaw in anger.

The cardinal quickly opened the door as they reached to the top, revealing the huge, golden horn that was sitting within the tower. It was long, at least twelve feet long, with a huge bell at the end carved with tribal designs all around. Since it was big and tall, she had to stand on a stool just so she could reach the mouthpiece. Taking a huge breath, she blew into the mouthpiece with as much force as she could muster, and was satisfied as she heard the deep rumble of the horn, giving out a majestic brassy sound as it echoed throughout Gran Pulse. For a moment, everything went quiet, and she laughed in glee as she heard the roars of Behemoth Kings, Adamantortoise and other Gran Pulse creatures answering her call. Her grin grew impossibly wide as she and the cardinal looked out from the tower, to see the beasts running out from the wilderness and charging at the soldiers. Those who were foolish enough to try and take them on were either killed in the stampede, or became snacks for the Behemoths. The remaining soldiers were smart enough to make their escape. Vanille's eyes narrowed as she saw transportation that vaguely represented Cocoon's military trucks came to pick the retreating soldiers.

Once the dust has settled, she made her way back to the town of Oerba, and her heart dropped as she saw chunks of concrete lying around, buildings with holes in them as well as a number of injured soldiers and guards lying around. She saw immediately ran to a child that on the ground, with patches of blood on her. Checking her pulse, Vanille cried out in tears when she felt the faint beating of the child's heart, and immediately carried her for medical attention. She went to the crowd of gathering people who were tending the wounds of the injured, and laid the child onto one of the stretchers. Turning around, she summoned one of the soldiers.

"Do you know who those soldiers were?", she asked, trying to keep her anger in check. To others, Vanille seemed like she had an infinite amount of patience compared to Fang. And she was much more friendlier and sunnier compared to the tan woman. But even someone like Vanille had a limit to her patience.

"Unfortunately not, Lady Vanille. But we did managed to capture a few of them. They seemed...like tribal people, but for some reason, they have weaponry and technology that seems to be from Cocoon", he explained.

"That's just...odd. Were there any casualties?", she asked, afraid of the answer that the soldier was going to give her. He shook his head.

"Thankfully, none so far. But we have a few soldiers and citizens that are seriously wounded and need immediate medical attention", he said. Vanille nodded in agreement and watched as the Behemoths returned to the village. She could see the distraught in their eyes as they looked around, seeing the damage those foreign soldiers did to Oerba. One of the Behemoths, which Vanille assumed was the Alpha of the herd, walked up to her and pressed it's snout against her forehead, as if it was worried. She smiled softly, and stroked it's snout.

"Thank you for your help. If you and your friends hadn't come..", she trailed off, refusing to think of the unthinkable. The Behemoth made a noise, which rumbled deep in it's chest as it trying to comfort her. She continued to stroke the Behemoth's snout, realizing that the soldier was still waiting for her.

"I want you to bring the ones you've captured to me", she said in a cold tone. These people almost took the lives of the innocent citizens of Oerba. Just as the soldier was about to leave, another soldier came running up to them, panting breathlessly.

"Lady Vanille, the soldier's that we've captured..", he trailed off breathlessly, trying his best to regain his breath again.

"What happened?", she asked, turning to look at him. The Behemoth seemed interested too, as it turned to look at the soldier.

"We were going to interrogate them, but before we could ask anything, they swallowed something and they started to convulse violently before they...", he trailed off again, not wanting to continue.

"Die?" asked the other soldier who was with Vanille. His colleague nodded and he huffed a breath out, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Seems that if anything goes wrong, and they got captured, whatever it is that they swallowed made sure they won't be able to talk", the soldier said. Both Vanille and the other soldier nodded in agreement. Vanille looked out to the horizon. The sun was high in the sky, meaning that it was still noon. _I hope you're safe, Fang. Hurry up and come home _she thought with a sigh, hoping that her Orbean sister was safe, wherever she was. Remembering the guns that she saw, she turned to the soldiers.

"I want you both to bring me one of the guns they were using. If there's any left out here, collect them and keep them. When Fang gets back, we'll be having a word with Cocoon about this", she said, walking towards the town, with the Behemoth following her.

"You think Cocoon's behind this attack?", the soldier asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. You said the soldiers that attacked us looked like tribes men?", she asked, wanting to be sure. He and his colleague nodded, and the other soldier pulled out an amulet, as if to prove to her that he was speaking the truth.

"This was from on the soldiers we managed to capture. From the design, we could tell that they're from the far south, but we're not sure from which tribe they're from", he said as he handed the amulet to Vanille. She held it closer to her face, inspecting the designs and markings on it. It definitely looked southern, but she couldn't tell which tribe they were from.

"Do you mind if I held onto this? Maybe Fang and Beymour might know something about this", she said. He nodded.

"Of course. In the mean time, we'll collect the weapons they were using and keep it away til Lady Fang and Lord Beymour returns", he said. With that, he and his colleague saluted Vanille and resumed their duties. Vanille looked at the Behemoth and smiled. But it wasn't a genuine smile. For some reason, she was feeling uneasy, like something bad was about to happen. Looking up at Cocoon, she watched the floating continent with worry in her heart.

* * *

[A/N]. Woo, new chapter! I hope Fang doesn't die though. She's too sexy to die and she and Lightning's got some unfinished business to settle. All I can say that things are gonna get a lot more interesting from here on out. So as always, read and review! Reviews make my world go round! Also, a shout out to Lightningthesky, who's also following this story of mine. She's one of my favourite authors as well, so it's an honour for her to follow this measly story of mine. I love her story Chaotic Exception (which is in the XIII-2 section) and I think I've read 5 times at least. Yes, it's that good, go read it if you're a Lightning x Vanille fan. For now, I'm going to have a moment for I've recently discovered that news about Lightning's Saga will be revealed on the 1st of September. They even have a website for that and I'm beyond stoked.


	5. Chapter V

Vanille has never been worried like this before in her life. The moment she saw Fang and Beymour's caravan from a distance, she was overjoyed. But her joy turned to shock, panic and worry when she saw the tan woman being carried out of the caravan on a make shift stretcher, blood all over her blue sari, looking deathly pale despite her tanned skin. They immediately rushed her to the town's hospital. Both Vanille and Beymour waited outside, praying with all their hearts that Fang would pull through. Vanille didn't want to think what it would be like to live without Fang. They've been together their whole lives. Fang was her sister, her guardian, her parent, her mentor. She taught Vanille how to survive, and even went through great lengths to save her during their l'Cie days. If she were to lose Fang now... she shook her head. Pushing away the bad thoughts, she focused on praying for Fang's survival. While waiting, she filled in on Beymour about the attack on Oerba, and how they've found Cocoon weaponry on the attacking soldiers.

"Wait, you're sayin' that they're our people, but they have Cocoon's technology?", Beymour asked, feeling a little skeptical about Vanille's story. She pulled out the amulet the soldier gave to her, and showed it to Beymour. His eyes widened, clearly recognizing the designs on the amulet.

"You know where's this from then?", she inquired as he took the amulet and studied the design and markings on the amulet, his brow furrowing a little.

"This can't be...this tribe isn't supposed to exist anymore...", he murmured as he traced the design of the amulet, shock and disbelief on his face.

"Beymour?", Vanille asked again.

"Sorry kid, but, can I hold on to this for a bit? There's just somethin' I need to make sure off", he asked in a serious voice. Vanille merely nodded at that.

Both Beymour's and Vanille's head snapped up when the heard the door open, and stood up as the doctor stepped out, preparing to bombard him with questions. Vanille's stomach churned when she saw his bloody gloved hand, covered in blood. She was close to tears, but she took a deep breath, steeling herself.

"How is she doctor?", Beymour asked, his voice shaking a little. Vanille could see that he was doing everything he can to keep himself together.

"She's lost a lot of blood, but thankfully the bullet went through and missed her heart. Even so, there's only so much I can do, Beymour. I don't have the right equipments here to treat her", he said regretfully as he pulled of his bloody glove. Both Beymour and Vanille didn't like where this was going, not one bit. Narrowing her eyes a little, she decided to ask him.

"So where do you suggest we bring her then? I'm sure there are other doctors here that can help her, right?", Vanille asked, keeping herself composed. Instead of answering, the doctor merely looked up at Cocoon. Vanille stiffened a little and Beymour gritted his teeth.

"Are you mad? Those vipers just tried to assassinate her, and attacked our village!", he almost yelled. Just the sight of Fang covered in blood, life draining out of her jade green eyes was more than Beymour could handle. And now she had to go to the viper's nest for medical attention? Was the gods playing a sick joke on them?

"Now Beymour, we don't know for sure that it's really Cocoon that did it. Remember, it was a bunch of tribe's men that came and attacked us. Somehow, they managed to get their hands on some fancy Cocoon technology. We'll look into that later, but for now, we really need to worry about Fang", Vanille pleaded, trying to reason with the older man. She didn't believe that Cocoon would just try to kill them off like that. The people she cared about in Cocoon, her friends more accurately, would do all they can in their power to stop that from happening. Beymour let out a reluctant sigh at that, and had to agree the redhead's logic was sound.

"..alright. But you're stayin' here. I'm gonna pass a word to the air ship station and get them to pick us up from here. I'll need to handpick a number of men to accompany us too. I ain't takin' any risks while we're up in the viper's nest". Vanille nodded at that and was surprised when Beymour pulled her into a hug.

"You stay strong now, alright? Fang needs ya to be strong. She'll be fine. She's too tough to die. She'll be up and kickin' again, you'll see", he whispered in her ear. It took all of Vanille's will power not to breakdown in Beymour's arms and just bawl her eyes out. Instead, she gathered herself and nodded numbly. Letting her go, he turned to the doctor.

"I'll be back in a bit, doctor. Vanille will be staying here while I get transportation for us to Cocoon".

"Of course. Please do hurry, I'll do what I can to keep her heartbeat steady", the doctor said. With that, Beymour gave a nod and jogged off. Vanille sat down again as the doctor went back in to check on Fang.

Vanille thanked Etro silently for giving her and Fang to experience what's it like to have a family again. Beymour and Karin were two people that were Vanille and Fang thought of as parents. She could only imagine their grief if Fang were too- _Stop it Vanille, _she chided herself. Nothing's gonna happen to Fang. She had faith in Etro that everything will turn out fine.

Beymour was impressed by the speed of the air ship that was sent to the Oerba town. The captain in charge of the air ship station wasn't kidding went he said he'll send the fastest ship to pick them up. And he was even impressed with the ship's design. It wasn't too big, and the design of the ship made it obvious that it was build for speed. He kept an eagle's eye on the medical team that was sent along as they gently placed Fang on the stretcher, and swallowed the lump in his throat, as he saw her being hooked to a blood packet, with a face mask on so that she'll breath in pure oxygen, courtesy of the medical team. Vanille followed suit as they loaded Fang into the the ship, with Beymour not too far behind.

"Is everyone in?", the pilot of the ship asked after they've strapped Fang safely, before they sat down and strapped themselves to the seat. As the last of the Orbean soldiers sat down and strapped themselves, one of the medical staff gave a thumbs up, indicating that they were ready. The pilot pushed a button, closing the door, before announcing that they were taking off.

"Sorry folks but take off is gonna be a little bit bumpy", the pilot said, and everyone clutched to the handle above them in fear as the ship started to shake a little violently. When the ship was finally airborne, everyone relaxed and prayed silently that they'll reach Cocoon safely. Vanille and Beymour watched Fang quietly as the doctor kept checking her pulse and blood pressure, watching her chest rise and fall weakly. Never in Vanille's life has she seen the raven haired huntress reduced to this state. And it took only one bullet. She frowned thinking about those men again. Whoever they were, they picked the wrong tribe to mess with, she thought.

The passengers of the air ship breathed a sigh of relief when the pilot safely landed the ship on Cocoon's military air ship base. The moment they touched the ground, the doctors unbuckled their belt and springing into action, unstrapping Fang quickly and gently before transferring her to another stretcher that was waiting for them outside, and loaded her into an ambulance. Beymour and Vanille hopped in with them, and ordered the soldiers to follow them in another car, prepared by the air base. Vanille and Beymour clutched for their dear lives at the handles above them as the ambulance sped through the highway, sirens blaring as it weaved through the cars on the road dangerously. Thankfully the drivers on the road were courteous enough to make way for their vehicle. Both Vanille and Beymour were ushered out when they've finally reached the hospital, and thanked Etro silently in their hearts that they managed to reach to the hospital in one peace. They followed Fang til the operation theater and was forced to stay behind by one of the nurses. Beymour paced back and forth restlessly, while Vanille leaned against the wall, feeling weary and drained from recent events. She looked up when she saw the group of Orbean soldiers walked up to them, their boots clanking heavily against the marble floor, earning disapproving and fearful looks from the hospital's staff. While Beymour was barking orders to them to station themselves, Vanille excused herself, saying that she needed to use the bathroom.

In truth, she wanted to make a phone call. Though it's been so long now, and Fang would kill her for doing this, she felt that she owed everyone a phone call. She trusted them, and knew they wouldn't do anything to compromise Fang's safety. Approaching the counter, she was relieved to find that the counter was empty. Quickly glancing around, she picked up the phone and dialed the one number that she'll never forget.

* * *

Lightning pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt that all too familiar throbbing headache coming on again. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she snapped her eyes open and glared at the new recruits, her obvious irritation flaring. Immediately, they quieted down, paying full attention to the strawberry blonde as she shifted her weight to one leg and put one hand on her hip, studying each one of them with a scrutinizing gaze, her cerulean blue eyes cold as ice, causing the recruits to flinch a little. She sighed, wondering why in Etro's name Amodar would ask Lightning, of all people, to fill in one of the trainer's shoes temporarily. Sadly, their trainer got into a pretty nasty fight with a gorgonopsid during one of his expedition in Gran Pulse, and he was considered lucky to come back with his limbs attached. Even so, his injuries were severe enough to put him out of action for a good two months. After hearing this news, Amodar decided to put Lightning in charge of the new recruit's training, telling her that it'll be a good change of pace from all the paperwork. Truth to be told, she'd rather be the one fighting the gorgonopsid, but if it meant getting away from the endless pile of papers that needs to be reviewed, she'd gladly take the offer to train the recruits. Of course, she immediately regretted it as she noticed one of the new recruits winking at her. Clenching her jaw, she narrowed her eyes at him, her expression stoic, but her blue eyes promising pain beyond his comprehension should he try anything funny with her. A fleeting look of fear passed his face, before he put on a straight face, pretending that never happened at all.

_Damn bunch of hormonal teens_ she thought irritatedly. Really, she couldn't understand why Amodar had picked her.

"Alright, we're gonna start the day off with a ten mile march, followed by push ups, situps, bench presses and such", she said, making her voice loud and clear, daring any of them to complain about their training regime. To her satisfaction, none of them did, or dared to at least. Barking an order to them, they fell into line as they started their ten mile march, Lightning jogging beside them. They were halfway through their ten mile march under the blazing heat when her radio comm started to crackle to life.

"Colonel Farron, do you read me?", came the voice, which she recognized as Amodar's.

"Loud and clear sir", she replied easily, her pace not faltering.

"Farron, I need you to report into my office, now. There's an urgent matter that requires your attention. There'll be another trainer that'll fill you in", he said, his voice serious and strained. At this, her pace faltered a little, before she picked continued smoothly.

"I'll be there in a minute, sir", she said, and the radio comm went off.

"Alright troops, return to base!", she barked, and she could hear the groans of relief from the recruits. She shook her head, if a ten mile march is too much for them, wait til their training exercises really begin. Once they've reached base, she immediately made her way to Amodar's office, her boots clicking against the metal floor. Reaching his office, she knocked, and entered, to find a slightly distraught looking Amodar leaning against the chair, staring at the phone. She saluted him, and he nodded, acknowledging her.

"You wanted to see me, sir?", she asked.

"Farron, I need you to get down to Bodhum's hospital. Someone tried to assassinate the chieftain of Oerba, and she's seeking medical attention there. I want you to handpick a team to guard the chieftain til she makes her full recovery", he said, looking at her seriously.

"Do the Orbeans have any idea who did this?" she asked him.

"No, unfortunately, they didn't spare me much details. All they asked was protection from us. They specifically asked for you too. They have soldiers of their own, but even so," he said, getting up from his chair. She nodded slowly, trying to figure out why would the Orbeans wanted her specifically.

"Right. And sir, is it alright if I went alone? If I were to bring a team along, they'll just bring me down. Plus bringing a group with me might draw some unwanted attention", she said. Amodar looked at her, his mind contemplating on her request and finally nodded.

"Very well. But, there will be teams stationed outside of Bodhum's hospital. In case something goes wrong, they can charge in", he said. She nodded, and saluted Amodar, before taking her leave.

* * *

Lightning's velocycle pulled up at the parking space of the hospital. Taking the keys out of the ignition, she got off from her vehicle and fixed her hair and uniform. As she entered the hospital, she couldn't help but notice the tense atmosphere amongst the staff as they gossiped amongst themselves. She was about to head to the counter when an all too familiar red head caught her eye. Her eyes widened in realization of who it was when the red head approached her.

"Vanille?", she asked in disbelief, blinking her eyes rapidly, trying to make sure it really was her. The red head ran to her and gave her a bone crushing hug, causing the air out of Lightning's lungs to rush out.

"Lightning!", she whispered happily. She pulled back when she realized that she has invaded the woman's personal space, and gave her an apologetic look. Despite herself, Lightning merely chuckled and ruffled the red head's hair, obviously happy to see her again.

"How've you been, Vanille?", she asked. She noticed the smile on Vanille's face faltered a little.

"Honestly, I've seen better days Lightning. What about you?", she asked.

"I'm good. Though, I doubt that I was called here for small talk", she said pointedly. At that, Vanille looked away, her eyes clouded with worry and sadness. The younger woman bit her lower lip, trying to stop the tears from falling.

"You're right. Our chieftain is..severely injured. We have other matters to talk about, but right now, her safety and recovery is our priority", Vanille said. Lightning noticed the protective tone Vanille had when it came to her chieftain. The same tone she used when she talked about Fang. Speaking of her, where is she? If Vanille was here, surely she was around. Lightning's eyes did a quick glance around the area, trying to spot the tan woman. But she was nowhere to be found. Lightning wasn't sure whether she should be happy or sad about that. Besides, even if she were to bump into Fang, then what? It's not like that they have anything to talk about anymore. _Mind on the job Lightning_, she chided herself.

"Do you mind bringing me to her?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, she's still in the operation theater. So we need to wait for a bit I", she said as she sat down with. Lightning could tell that the younger woman was weary and stressed out from the way her shoulders slumped, and her eye bags, though she wasn't sure that was due to lack of sleep of from crying too much. She smiled at the younger woman and patted her back, assuring her that everything will be fine. She frowned a little as she comforted Vanille. Where was Fang? They were like sisters, and during times like these it was usually the huntress that comforted Vanille, not Lightning. Though the warrior was reckless almost all the time, it wasn't like Fang to just leave Vanille like this. She would ask Vanille about it later. For now, she needs to be focused.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor announced that the chieftain's surgery went well and they could see her if they wanted. Stretching and easing the kinks out of their necks and shoulders and backs, they followed the doctor to Fang's room. Vanille saw Beymour and some of the soldiers waiting outside of her room. They glanced at her when they noticed her approaching them, but they narrowed their eyes at Lightning, expressions distrustful as they glared at her.

"Beymour, this is Lightning Farron. She was the one that led our ragtag team during our l'Cie days. Lightning, this is Beymour. He's our adviser. Be nice to each other now", she warned when she noticed they were giving each other glares.

"Sure this viper here can be trusted?", he asked, his expression rigid as he studied her. Vanille threw her hands up and sighed.

"Beymour, be nice", she said sternly, green eyes meeting brown ones. He nodded stiffly and opened the door for them. Lightning's eyes took in the hospital room, before her eyes laid on the sleeping figure on the bed. She felt her heart drop and her stomach churn when she realized who it was.

"...Fang?"

* * *

[A/N] Must suck for Lightning for her to see Fang like that. As always, read and review! And guys, 1st of September is rolling around the corner, and I really can't wait for Square Enix's announcement regarding Lightning's saga. They better not screw it up like they did for 13-2's ending, or they'll find themselves dealing with an angry mob of fans.


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